Hydrocarbon-burner



(N9 Modl.)

0; L. HEVEBIN. HYDROGEN BURNER.

Patented Apr. 30, 1889,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES L. HEVERIN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

H YDROCARBON-BURN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 402,241, dated April 30, 1889.

Application filed Aprilti, 1887. Serialllo. 233,779. (Nomodeh) To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES L. HEVERIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, Philadelphia county, Pennsyl- Vania, have invented certain new' and useful Improvements in Hydrocarbon-Burners, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the generation of heat by the combustion of liquid hydrocarbons; and itconsists in the heat-generating apparatus hereinafter fully described.

The improved method of generating heat from liquid hydrocarbons as fuel contemplates the feeding of the liquid hydrocarbons into a quantity of fibrous or comminuted refractory material-such as asbestus, mineral wool, fireclay, or sand-so that said refractory material is thoroughly saturated with liquid fuel. It also contemplates the feeding of another fluid-such as will when decomposed by heat yield up quantities of oxygen to the liquid fuel-so that in the combustion of the fuel it will be supplied in a convenient manner with a constant source of oxygen, and thus renderits combustion more complete.

Referring to the drawing, which is a sectional elevation of an apparatus embodying my invention, it is to be understood that the same consists, essentially, of a burner, A, adapted to contain a quantity of refractory material, B, and provided with connections .with a liquid-hydrocarbon reservoiiyC, and a tank, D, or other source of supply for containing water or other fluid which will yield oxygen to the burning hydrocarbon.

The burner A, as herein shown, consists of a slightly-tapering vessel, preferably having a removablecover, a, and a neck, I), for connection with, say, a water-supply pipe, (1. The walls of the burner will be provided with numerous perforations, 0, through which the vapor of the hydrocarbon will pass and be burned upon the outside. The burner also communicates at the bottom a with a liquid-hydrocarbon-supply pipe, f, which is located within the larger supply-pipe, d, so that both the liquid hydrocarbon and the fluid supplying oxygen thereto will enter the burner substantially at the same point therein. The liquid hydrocarbon and water or other fluid having an oxygen-supply will be simultane ously fed to the burner in any suitable manner, it being obvious that the connections for feeding said fluids to the burner A will vary in many particulars, as the requirements of the use to which the heat is to be employed necessitates. As herein shown, however, the supply-pipe f is passed through a suitable stuffing-box, g, provided in the side of the pipe 1, and connected with the top of a liquidhydrocarbon reservoir, 0. The water-supply pipe (Z is connected with the bottom of said reservoir. The tank D is provided with a pipe, (1, which enters the top of the reservoir 0 and extends downward therein to within a a short distance of its bottom. The tank D will be arranged at such height with relation to the burnerA that the water will be caused to flow therefrom to approximately the top of the burner, and in the present arrangement said tank will also be so arranged with respect to the reservoir C as to force the liquid hydrocarbon into the burner. The pipef is preferably provided with a controlling-valve, h, and the pipes d and d with valves "6 j, re-

spectively, while the reservoir 0 may be provided with a filling orifice, 7.1, and a valve, 1,

'for emptying the same.

The operation of the apparatus thus described will be as follows: The reservoir 0 having been. supplied. witha quantity of liquid hydrocarbon and the tank D with water, the valve j in the supply-pipe (1 having been opened, water from the tank D will be allowed to pass into the bottom of the reservoir 0 through said pipe (1, and will tend to force the liquid hydrocarbon upward into the pipe f. The valves h andz' of the supply-pipes'"f and (Z now being opened, the liquid hydrocarbon will be caused to pass into the burner A, saturating the refractory material B therein, and the water, rising by pipe d from the bottom of the burner, which gradually becomes intensely hot. The water in proximity to the liquid hydrocarbon and refractory material, as soon as the heat becomes sufficient, is rapidly con verted into steam, which in time is decoruposed, giving up its oxygen to the burning hydrocarbon, and thus, as well as furnishing the requisite amount to support the ordinary combustion, will greatly intensify the heat of the burning hydrocarbon, the hydrogen of the water of course being consumed also.

As the hydrocarbon and water are consumed during the generation of heat, they will be constantly supplied to the burner through their respective supply-pipes in such manner as to keep the refractory material more or less saturated therewith. The amount of liquid hydrocarbon and water permitted to pass to the burner of course may be controlled by the valves before described, and the proportions of the fluids with each other will be similarly controlled.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the burner A serves both as the \-'aporizing-chambet for the water and hydrocarbon and as the mixing-chamber for the two vapors, thereby enabling me to dispense with two of the chambers heretofore in use, where a vaporizing-chamber for the oil, a vaporizing or supen heating chamber for the Water, and a mixingchamber have been required. In. some forms of burners-as those employed in stoves or in connection with steam-b0ilers-a mixingchamber as a distinct device is not employed, the vapors of water and hydrocarbon being commingled directly in the open fire-box, where they are burned; but in such case sepa rate vaporizing-chambers are necessary.

\Vhile water is preferably used to supply oxygen to the burninghydrocarbon, as it will mix more intimately therewith, any other fluid may be employed which when decomposed will yield oxygen to the fuel. It is of course apparent that steam might be led to the burner A in the first place instead of water.

I claim- 1. The combination, with a burner, of a reservoir containing oil and water, pipes leaving said reservoir at different levels and communicating with the burner, and a water supply or reservoir above the burner communicating with said Water and oil reservoir, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the burner, of an oil and water reservoir, a tank or receptacle containing Water, a pipe leading from the Water-supply to the said reservoir, and separate pipes between the oil and water containing parts of the reservoir and the burner, whereby the water and oil are supplied to the burner under equal pressure, substantially as described.

3. In a hydrocarbon-burner, the combination. of a burner, a hydrocarbon-fluid tank, a connecting-tube between the upper part of said tank and the burner, a water-tank, a connect ing-tube leading from the water-tank to the lower part of the hydrocarbon-fluid tank, and another tube connecting the lower part of the hydrocarbon-fluid tank with the burner, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES L. IIEVERIN.

Witnesses:

GEo. W. REED, NATHAN C. LANE. 

